Kessler is keen on a re-match with The Cobra

CONTRARY to rumours, Mikkel Kessler says he is more than happy to take away another world title from Carl Froch.

First he has to get past current WBA super-middleweight Champion Brian Magee in their December 8 showdown in Herning.

The Cobra has been hinting that the great Dane is cooling over a re-match of their epic battle back in April 2010.

Back then, the Viking Warrior handed Froch his first defeat and won the WBC belt after 12 exciting rounds .

"Don't you worry, Carl," said Kessler. "I beat you once and I will beat you again.

"Enjoy your belt while you have it. And let me take care of business against Brian Magee first.

"Of course I am ready to fight you again, any time, any place, especially if Andre Ward is too scared to leave his backyard."

Kessler, who has great respect for Froch, congratulated his friend on his successful IBF title defence against Yusaf Mack in Nottingham on Saturday night.

"That was a good win for you, congratulations," he said. "Keep it up and I am sure we will meet again."

Another Froch target, Lucian Bute, was also impressed by The Cobra's comprehensive win over.

But Bute and his team say they saw flaws in Froch that they can exploit in their re-match.

IBF champion Froch is committed to fighting Bute in Canada next year, but promoter Eddie Hearn has hinted that if it doesn't happened in March it could fall through.

"Froch makes mistakes too, but if you stay and trade with him he is hard to beat," said Bute.

"The re-match is a certainty. It will be either in March or the summer of next year. Depends on the negotiations, depends on the IBF.

"It is something I want to do. Will I fight him in the Fall? We'll see.

"One thing is certain, I can beat him; I know I can do better than I did in May. I know I am better than that."

The trouble is that Froch needs to get the Bute fight out of the way so that he can face mandatory challenger Adonis Stevenson.

If he doesn't meet him early next year he faces being stripped of the title by the IBF.

Nottingham's Barrington Brown, who has been out of the ring since March, is booked out in Liverpool on December 8, hopefully for a Masters title. Stable-mate Simon Lucas takes on Navid Mansouri at the Magna Centre, in Rotherham, on November 30.